Complaints about water companies have fallen for the sixth straight year - and by a greater margin - after the industry was urged to do more to improve customer service.
The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) said the vast majority of firms had risen to its challenge in the last financial year with complaints during 2013/14 falling 18% on the previous 12 months.
However, it said the total equated to more than 300 daily, standing at 123,218 written complaints, with more than half relating to billing and other charging matters.
The UK's household water and sewerage industry is a geographical monopoly, unlike the regime for energy firms which gives consumers the power to change supplier.
Tony Smith, chief executive of CCWater, said: "Most water companies have responded well to our challenge to improve performance, with complaints now at their lowest level since we were formed in 2005.
"But affordability remains a huge challenge for the industry, with one in five customers telling us their water bill is not affordable.
"Water companies and the regulator Ofwat must deliver prices for the next five years that customers can afford and find acceptable or risk a backlash from struggling households".
Ofwat confirmed last month that its price control plans for all 18 water companies in England and Wales should see bills falling by 5% on average, in real terms, between 2015 and 2020.
Southern Water and South East Water were singled out by CCWater for being the two worst performing companies when complaints are measured per 10,000 connected properties.
The report said: "We have repeatedly told them that they need to bring themselves into line with the rest of the industry, but they continue to lag significantly behind".
Four companies - South West Water, Affinity Water, Severn Trent Water and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water - bucked the industry trend and reported an overall increase in complaints.
Wessex Water, Portsmouth Water and Cambridge Water were hailed as the industry's best performers.
Steve George, customer services director at South East Water, said: "We are pleased to see the downward trend continue during 2014 but we recognise that there is still more to do.
"Over the past year we have been working hard to integrate the new communications technologies into customer service".
Darren Bentham, Southern Water's chief customer officer, said: "While our performance in 2013/14 saw a big improvement, we are still lower down the results table than we want to be - and where our customers want us to be.
"However, we are continuing to make changes which ensure we focus on our customers - from training, to new systems and an improved website".
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